With ‘Food Safety’ being the theme of this year’s World Health Day on April 7, 37 laureates of the Right Livelihood Award from across the world have endorsed a declaration on the future of nutrition, denouncing Golden Rice and Genetically Modified Bananas as ‘false miracles’ to achieving food security. Golden Rice is a genetically engineered rice variety offered by GM proponents as a cure for Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), while GM bananas are proposed to compensate for a lack of Vitamin A and iron.
The declaration, written by 1993 Right Livelihoood Award recipient Vandana Shiva and a coalition of women’s groups in India, comes as controversy escalates over the development of GM crops in Africa. According to a February 2015 report by Friends of the Earth International only four African countries, South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Sudan, have released GM crops commercially, while others are involved in testing or have placed bans and restrictions on GM crops and commodities. A GM banana project in Uganda under the National Agricultural Research Institute and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently provoked fierce resistance from local civil society organizations who claim that there are better alternatives to GM.
Food sovereignty organisation GRAIN, recipient of the 2011 Right Livelihood Award and signatory to the declaration, said in an earlier statement, “Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) – like other problems on malnutrition and hunger – is not caused by the lack of Vitamin A in food, but by people’s inability to access a balanced diet…it is a mistake to turn blindly to Golden Rice, a crop that the International Rice Research Institute itself admits it has not yet determined can actually improve Vitamin A…It is clear that the development of Golden Rice, with its avowedly humanitarian mission to solve Vitamin A deficiency serves the biotech industry in its efforts to win wider approval for GM foods. It is a tool to promote GMOs that would pave the way towards control of food and agriculture by agrobiotech corporations.”
Nigerian environmentalist Nnimmo Bassey and recipient of the 2010 Right Livelihood Award, said the move toward GM crops on the continent is driven by profit and heralds a new form of colonization. “The modern biotech industry is really going bananas. The so-called golden rice has always been known to be a hoax. The same goes for the so-called golden bananas. The future of African nutrition and access to the right food lies in the preservation of our biodiversity and genetic resources,” he said.
The declaration states that Golden Rice has not in fact proven to be more nutritious than indigenous varieties and that natural food sources like turmeric provide much more iron than GM bananas.
“As a source of nutrition for the Global South, Golden Rice has no real benefits. But considering the precedents set by soya, corn, canola and cotton, introducing Golden Rice as a way for large companies to gain control over entire food cultures based on rice, makes perfect sense,” states the declaration. It also reveals the environmental costs, potentially damaging health impacts and consequences for small-scale farmers of GM crop production, and calls for support for sustainable agro-ecology systems with crop diversity and seed sovereignty.
Communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria are seeking government intervention in the protection and conservation of the rich biodiversity presence in the area.
Oil pollution in the Niger Delta has largely contributed to the destruction of the area’s biodiversity. Photo credit: longbaby.com
Members of the communities made the request recently during an interaction with a team comprising officials of the Ministry of Environment, National Planning Commission, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded Niger Delta Biodiversity Project (NDBP), Dr Mathew Dore. The team was on a monitoring and evaluation visit.
The Niger Delta Biodiversity Project has the goal of contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of globally significant biological diversity in the Niger Delta, which is being attained through stakeholders strengthening of the governance framework of law, policy and institutional capacity to enable the mainstreaming of biodiversity management into the oil and gas sector in the restive, oil-rich region.
Local folks noted that the best way to halt the indiscriminate exploitation and destruction of the biodiversity is for the communities, government and the oil companies to work in synergy in addressing the situation.
In Biseni community of Bayelsa State, the community decries the disappearance of some of animal and plant species which was hitherto common in their forests.
“As a result of oil exploration and exploitation, pipe line vandalism and over harvesting of animals for meat and plant fruits for food, we have succeeded in depleting the forests of valuable biodiversity that should sustain life for us now and future generation,” Mr Ndiwari Bulodisiye, a community member, said.
“There is an urgent need to conserve and protect the biodiversity and no community in the Niger Delta has the capacity or potential to do that. So we need government and more especially the oil companies to partner communities in bringing back lives into the forests,” he added.
Mr Gbabra Yoruba, a representative of the Niger Delta Wetland Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, which prepared the Biseni Community Biodiversity Action Plan, said that more than 80 per cent of the community depends on biodiversity from the forest for its livelihood.
“Members of the community have also recognised and admitted that they are to some extent responsible for the rapid loss of biodiversity and that they have done little or nothing for its protection,” he added.
Mr Otufu Pasuja of the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Port Harcourt, described the Niger Delta Biodiversity Project as a big boost to efforts by communities in the area to preserve their natural heritage.
“Bayelsa is so rich in terms of biodiversity; conserving it will be making room for the next and future generation. But there is the need for the political will on the part of government and commitment on the part of oil companies for any effort at conserving this God gift to be a success,” Pasuja said.
In Abi-Ugborodo community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Sunday Agbeyi, chairman of the community biodiversity action plan, said the environmental degradation suffered by the area leading to loss of biodiversity would be a thing of the past if the community’s action plan to restore the environment was implemented.
He urged the state government to come up with laws and regulations that would protect the rich biodiversity of the area.
Mr Irikefe Dafe, Executive Director, Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers, a non-governmental organisation and the implementing organisation for the Abi-Ugborodo conservation project under the NDBP, noted that the chimpanzee and other animal and plant species that are common in the place are now extinct following massive deforestation and other human induced activities.
He praised the community for embracing the project and urged members to reduce activities that result in the loss of biodiversity.
Emmanuel Bazunu of the Delta State Ministry of Environment and Conservation noted that the Niger Delta area had suffered severe loss of biodiversity as a result of pollution which government had failed to control.
Mr Eguaoje Festus, Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Environment, said government was concerned about the huge biodiversity loss in the Niger Delta and was prepared to work with communities and development partners to restore the losses.
Mrs Falilat Abdulraheem, an Assistant Director with the National Planning Commission, urged the Niger Delta communities to toe the path of sustainable development by protecting and conserving nature’s gift to them.
She noted that the environment had been over-exploited and therefore required a systematic approach and involvement of all to ensure its restoration.
The Government of Mexico at the weekend announcedits ambitious commitmenttowards a new international climate change agreement. As part of its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Mexico announced its emissions will peak by 2026 and it will adopt an unconditional target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 22% from business as usual.
President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico. Photo credit: htekidsnews.com/Wikimedia Commons/Microstar
This development implies that Mexico is the first developing country to submit its INDC, which also includes plans in respect to adaptation and a target to cut black carbon or soot. Mexico is a founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition which was among the many inspiring international cooperative initiatives taken forward at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in
2014.
After Switzerland, the EU and Norway, Mexico is the fourth party to submit a pledge to the Paris agreement. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), in a statement on Saturday, congratulated Mexico on its submission, released prior to the March 31st timeline outlined by the UNFCCC.
President Barack Obama and President Enrique Peña Nieto also jointly announced a new high-level bilateral clean energy and climate policy task force to improve coordination on clean electricity, energy and fuel efficiency, climate modelling, and early warning systems. The task force will be led by Secretary Ernest Moniz and Secretary Juan José Guerra Abud.
As two partners of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the commitment of the United States and today Mexico to accelerate action to increase low-carbon, clean energy and drive down greenhouse gas emissions is welcome. The USA continues to show leadership together with its bilateral partners, notably China, India and today, Mexico, in accelerating climate action.
The IISD also gave the thumbs-up to Mexico for its commitment, as well as the USA. The USA is expected to announce its INDC soon and had previously outlined a target of emission reductions between 26 to 28 percent. IISD is likewise looking forward to Canada’s finalised INDC, aligning with the other NAFTA partners.
According to the IISD, it is currently working to support INDCs in a number of countries and is firmly committed to supporting low carbon, climate resilient development around the world.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, is encouraging countries to come forward with their INDCs as soon as they are able, underlining their commitment and support towards a successful outcome in Paris. Governments agreed to submit their INDCs in advance of Paris.
Developed countries are expected to do so as soon as possible and bigger developing countries are also likely to submit their INDCs well in advance.
Countries have agreed that there will be no back-tracking in these national climate plans, meaning that the level of ambition to reduce emissions will increase over time. Countries under the UNFCCC have already finalised the negotiating text for the Paris agreement.
The next round of formal negotiations will take place at UNFCCC headquarters in Bonn, Germany, in June.
The NAFTA came into effect on January 1, 1994, creating the largest free trade region in the world, generating economic growth and helping to raise the standard of living for the people of all three member countries – USA, Mexico and Canada.
This piece was necessitated by outcome of the recently held roundtable in Nairobi, Kenya titled: “COP 21 and Beyond – Government, Business and Civil Society Partnership”. CISME made a presentation and actively participated.
Prince Lekan Fadina
CISME emphasised its mission in connection with climate change “to raise issues on climate action, create awareness, promote education, develop capacity, promote public-private partnership, citizens involvement, entrepreneurial development, research, support sustainable and climate resilient development, sharing experience and collaboration.”
The event raised a number of issues which we believe could be useful in addressing the implications of the new Climate Agreement and the investment train to the low carbon economy. l t also helped in the continuous dialogue of checklist for Africa interest.
It is evident that there is great interest globally to address climate science climate information, technology, finance and energy access. There is urgent call for Africa including Nigeria to maximise energy options, be energy efficient and work with developed countries and development institutions on the basis of addressing challenges that will be in the interest of the people. This will help in ensuring the efficient channel of climate financing to projects that will benefit the greater number of people.
Phillippe Desfosses, CEO of the French Etabisement de Retraite de la Fonction publiqu (ERAFP), saw a changing climate when it comes to the French public pension funds investment policy. Desfosses said that ERAFP will be “experimenting with decarbonising its investments of 21 billion Euros ($23 billion).” The Fund announced late in 2014 that it was working with the French Asset Manager Amundi to design a 750 million Euros for low carbon portfolio. This is an important point bearing in mind that the French government recently put in place a substantial amount towards African development and COP 21 is taking place in Paris, France.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, said recently that “there has never been so much mobilisation of the private and finance sector to show that not only must we address the climate change but must remember the future generations.”
In her presentation at the World Affairs Council of Northern California USA, Ms. Figueres said that “the demand for energy is high and we need to ask ourselves what we are going to do to provide the necessary infrastructure for the growing world population.” She went on to say that, in moving forward, innovation, technology, education, human capital development, education and awareness creation are useful mechanisms for addressing the challenges of climate change.
It is now a common term in Sustainable Development circle that “Right now business as usual is risk” because if by December 2015 a global agreement is reached, the implications will be striking us in the face. The private sector needs to get itself prepared because the agreement would ensure that not only public financing for climate friendly projects around the world will be involved, the ramp-up of government mechanism like co-investing and de-risking to encourage the private sector to get involved will be a great challenge.
COP 21 will be an avenue for the private sector, civil society organisations and governments to get the impact of the negotiation agreement.
The country specific commitment to emission reduction as contained in the various countries’ INDCs will serve as an “investment prospectus” that gives us an indication of how countries are going to decarbonise their economy, scale up renewables, increase energy efficiency, transition to carbon energy green jobs and other issues.
The global investment portfolios will be moving towards supporting climate-friendly growth, ensuring efficiency and cost reductions. The United Nations Systems such as the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UNIDO and others are keying into this process of low carbon and climate resilient development.
As we prepare for COP 21 we humbly suggest that there is need to consider how we can as a nation and people benefit from the outcome – for example the Green Climate Fund, Technology Centres and other infrastructure. We must look at how we can empower, and educate our people towards the path of sustainable growth and development.
Nigeria must take leadership role in promoting and creating the enabling environment for inflow of investment, ensuring that we get the benefit of various financing, technology, knowledge and other tools that can go a long way in the unlocking of opportunities in low carbon and climate resilient projects that can lead to creating jobs for growth and development.
We see the need to explore how we can use all available assets at our disposal to mobilise all of our people to understand that the future we see in front of us demands a proper understanding of Nigeria as a member of the global world that sees the efficiency of all resources as a collective responsibility.
By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). (He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee). Website: www.cismenigeria.com. Email: cismevision@gmail.com. Twitter: @cismevision
Norway on Friday March 27, 2015 submitted its 2030 climate target to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In December this year, a new global climate agreement is to be concluded at the UN Climate Conference in Paris.
Norway’s climate and environment minister, Tine Sundtoft. Photo credit: www.regjeringen.no
All countries are invited to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), containing emissions reductions targets, well in advance of Paris and by March 2015 for those ready to do so. Norway is the third to submit its intended contribution, after Switzerland and the EU.
According to Norwegian officials, the nation is committed to a target of an at least 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
Norway’s INDC comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement which will be reached at the UN climate conference in Paris in December this year. All submitted INDCs are available on the UNFCCC website.
Including the Norwegian submission, 31 parties to the UNFCCC have formally submitted their INDCs. This includes all the countries under the European Union plus the European Commission and Switzerland.
The Paris agreement will come into effect in 2020, empowering all countries to act to prevent average global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius and to reap the many opportunities that arise from a necessary global transformation to clean and sustainable development.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, is encouraging countries to come forward with their INDCs as soon as they are able, underlining their commitment and support towards this successful outcome in Paris.
Governments agreed to submit their INDCs in advance of Paris. Developed countries are expected to do so as soon as possible and some bigger developing countries are also likely to submit their INDCs well in advance.
INDCs have been chosen as the vehicle for national contributions to the international Paris agreement. They include, for example, details of emission reductions the country will undertake and can include other action plans covering areas such as adaptation to climate change.
Countries have agreed that there will be no back-tracking in these national climate plans, meaning that the level of ambition to reduce emissions will increase over time.
Countries under the UNFCCC have already finalised the negotiating text for the Paris agreement. The next round of formal negotiations will take place at UNFCCC headquarters in Bonn, Germany, in June.
All information such as documentation on designing and preparing INDCs as well as on sources of support for INDC preparation, is available here.
Norwegians believe that, to have a successful outcome of the Climate Conference in Paris, it is important that countries submit their contributions on emission reductions well in advance of the meeting, and that they are ambitious.
“Our target is well in line with the emission reductions that are needed to met the two degree target. I am very pleased that Norway can keep to the deadline,” says climate and environment minister, Tine Sundtoft.
According to the minister, the aim is to fulfil the emission reduction target as a collective delivery with the EU and its member states.
Sundtoft adds: “Around 50% of Norway’s emissions are already covered by the emission trading system (ETS) of the EU. In addition, a national target for emission reductions will be established for sectors outside the ETS. Norway will enter into a dialogue with the EU on an agreement for the collective delivery of the climate target. If there is no agreement on a collective delivery with the EU, Norway will fulfil the commitment independently. The ambition level of at least 40 % reduction will remain the same.
“We need more international cooperation to meet the climate challenge. A collective delivery for Norway and the EU on climate change is a step in the right direction. Both Norway and the EU have high ambitions on climate, and view climate measures in the context of long term transition to low emission societies. By linking our climate efforts, we can achieve better results.
“The solution with the EU means that the 40% emission reduction will be implemented in Europe, without the use of international market mechanisms outside of the EU and Norway. If it can contribute to a global and ambitious climate agreement in Paris, Norway will consider taking a commitment beyond an emission reduction of 40% compared to 1990 levels, through the use of flexible mechanisms under the UN framework convention, beyond a collective delivery with the EU
“It is important that the Paris climate agreement includes market based mechanisms. By using the market, countries can raise ambitions collectively.”
Ahead of Nigeria’s historic general elections, Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Abuja, has deployed a real-time geo-specific online platform to collate and provide citizens, particularly security agencies, disaster management agencies, media and electoral officials with real-time information about the conduct of the exercise. The platform will help check other irregularities capable of undermining the outcome of the elections while mitigating violence.
A web shot of Uzabe
CODE believes that advancement in technology has made it possible for virtual communities like her to provide increasing support to election observation and electoral body response to emergencies during elections. Important cornerstones of this virtual effort are the possibility to access and take advantage of geo-spatial data, satellite imagery as well as the use of other mobile-based technologies such as Short Message Services (SMS), WhatsApp and global navigation information systems.
Chief Executive of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, stated: “Taking note of the need to connect our works with the electoral body, organisations working around democracy and governance in Nigeria, and as one of the 88 organisations accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the 2015 General Elections, with support from The Indigo Trust – a UK based grant making foundation that funds technology-driven projects to bring about social change, largely in African countries, we have created Uzabe (www.uzabe.org) – a real-time (web-based map) Open Situation Awareness Room for her over 1000 observers (in 31 states of the federation) and other citizens in the forthcoming elections in Nigeria aiming to report on the opening, accreditation, voting and counting processes during election day while establishing early warning systems for vulnerable communities and strengthening mitigation of violence and emergency response during violence”.
Uzabe is also created to enable the rest of the public interface with CODE in shaping pubic discussions targeted at ensuring free, fair, credible and peaceful elections. “The technology is designed to work using SMS as its feedback mechanism as every household in Nigeria has access to mobile services,” Lawal added.
CODE’s over 1,000 observers in 31 states that has been trained would serve as Trusted Sources and would be sending geo-specific reports and descriptions of event on the scene as they unfold. “We hope to be able to showcase and tell stories on how technology tool can mitigate violence while equipping security, disaster management emergencies and the public with real-time information. Another interesting part is that the security agencies are keen and has committed on using our groundtruth reports. We would also analyse unfiltered crown (citizen) reports via Twitter and Facebook feeds that would help in enhancing the electoral process,” Lawal explained.
Heads of State, ministers and officials from 31 governments who met on Wednesday in Kasane, Botswana reaffirmed their determination to scale up their response to the global poaching crisis, and adopted crucial new measures to help tackle the unprecedented surge in illegal wildlife trade.
During the one-day meeting, governments reported on their progress since the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in February last year, when 41 countries and the EU agreed to take urgent and decisive action to combat wildlife crime, which threatens national security and sustainable development as well as populations of iconic species, such as elephants, rhinos and tigers.
Key successes in the past year include increased levels of law enforcement action, especially in Africa, which have led to a rise in ivory seizures, while some countries have started to improve their domestic wildlife-related legislation. Last month, 13 tiger range countries in Asia committed to a zero poaching framework and toolkit, which could be used as a blueprint for curbing poaching worldwide.
“World governments demonstrated here in Kasane how they are turning the commitments in the London Declaration into tangible actions on the ground and strengthening their resolve to see the job through,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC.
The Kasane Statement builds upon the commitments in the London Declaration to eradicate the market for wildlife products, ensure effective legal frameworks and deterrents against wildlife crime, strengthen law enforcement, and support sustainable livelihoods.
Countries adopted a number of additional measures, including focusing on tackling money laundering and other financial aspects of wildlife crime.
“The commitment to follow the money is a huge, innovative step that provides a mechanism to bring down the trafficking kingpins by hitting them where it hurts – in their pockets. It should also help to stamp out the corruption that so often undermines enforcement actions,” said Broad.
The Statement calls for the engagement of relevant community groups and the appropriate retention of benefits from wildlife resources by local people. Participants also agreed to engage further with the private sector, including logistics and transport companies, which are uniquely placed to stem the flow of illicit wildlife products but often find themselves an inadvertent vector for wildlife trafficking.
At the consumer end of the trade chain, extra impetus will be injected into understanding the motivations and behaviour of users of illegal wildlife products.
“Wildlife criminals have been reaping big profits for very little risk for too many years but the commitments agreed to in London and now Kasane could change the game by drastically increasing the risks for traffickers while also reducing their rewards,” said Carlos Drews, WWF Director Global Species Programme. “The Kasane Statement also provides important backing for an ambitious United Nations General Assembly resolution on wildlife crime, which would raise the stakes even higher and encourage a more concerted global drive against transnational organised crime.”
A strong UNGA resolution would be the ideal mechanism to monitor and report on the implementation of the commitments made in London and Kasane, which will be vital to the long-term success of global efforts to reduce the illegal wildlife trade.
“It’s a year since London and while the tide is slowly turning against wildlife criminals, more effort is urgently needed because poaching levels are still far too high,” said Drews. “Important progress has been made but the war against illegal wildlife trade will only be won if governments continue scaling up their efforts and working together to turn these commitments into concrete results.”
I have always emphasised that COP 21 is not only a platform for negotiation but an opportunity to pursue the road to low carbon economy. Some of the parties, while addressing the reduction of emission, are also planning how to manage and consistently look at the risk adjusted investment into a new fora of sustainability activities and programmes. Itis a shift that requires new skills, knowledge and commitment. We have seen how Switzerland has indicated its commitment to projects locally and globally with implications for emission control.
Prince Lekan Fadina
John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, speaking at the Atlantic Council on March 12 2015 in Washington, urged nations to set ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gases and warned climate change deniers that gambling with the Earth’s future was a risky business as “there is no Plan B.” He went further to say: “If we fail, future generations will not forgive those who ignore this moment, no matter their reasoning.”
He further said that for decades now the science has been screaming at us. Future generations will judge our efforts not just a policy failure but as a collective, moral failure of historic consequences. Kerry underscored the importance of clean energy as “one of the greatest economic opportunities of all time. The global energy market of the future is poised to be the largest market the world has ever known. We are talking about $6 trillion market today with four to five billon users today that will grow to nine million users over the next few decades.” He predicted that by 2035 investment in the energy sector is expected to reach about $17 trillion more than the entire current GDP of China.
The United States which accounts for 12 percent of global emissions recently announced that it plans to reduce them by 26-28 percent in 2005.
There are many activities going on globally to mobilise for “solutions we need to succeed” and the economic argument for developing alternative energy is gaining grounds.
It is clear that a new way of transforming investments into the path of sustainability will involve investment research, education, strategy, communication, change of investment goals, reliable data, information evaluating and analysing emerging solutions on various investments.
There is need to have competent, skilled, well trained professionals in sustainable development in various fields – project management, banking, investment analysis, estate management, health and engineering, among others, with a view to see how combating global warming can be factored into their different development projects.
The different areas of negotiation – capacity building, finance, technology, loss and damage and others – have one thing or another to do with climate and development. The issue of adaptation and mitigation projects require understanding of various terminology and language different from the traditional language we are familiar with. The new concept of sustainable investment takes into cognisance the three tripod of economic, social and environmental factors in analysing investments.
We humbly suggest that a strong platform is provided to market climate resilient investment opportunities in Nigeria as one of the major activities and programmes at COP 21 in Paris. This should be a collective programme to have both the private and public sectors operators showcasing investment opportunities in Nigeria. The benefits of this are tremendous and it provides a good opportunity
for wealth creation, business development, job opportunities, knowledge sharing and enhancement of the standard of living of Nigerians through increased investment in GDP and wider investment portfolio.
By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). (He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee). Website: www.cismenigeria.com. Email: cismevision@gmail.com. Twitter: @cismevision
History was made in Akure, south-west Nigeria, on Monday March 23, 2015 as the first set of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) students under the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) Graduate Research Programme (GRP) in West Africa Climate System officially passed out.
Mr Peter Tarfa (third from left), representing the Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam; Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Adebiyi Daramola (second from right); and Professor Jerome Omotosho, director of the WASCAL-GRP (extreme left), during the passing out ceremony
Hosted by the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State, the WASCAL Programme is a novel climate change initiative of the German government through the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Graduate Research Programme is a major component of WASCAL.
The students were “passing out” and not “graduating” in the real sense of the word because, even though they had satisfied all the requirements for the award of the degree and officially ended the programme, the conferment of the degrees on them will hold later in the year in November, when they are all expected to return to Akure to formally graduate.
The academic programme started on 23rd January, 2012 with 10 students, one from each of 10 West African countries that signed the WASCAL Treaty. The countries are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia and Togo. However, the inability of The Gambia and Togo to fill their slots meant that countries like Nigeria and Ghana each had two representatives.
The graduating students are: Folorunsho Matthew Akinseye (Nigeria), Thompson Annor (Ghana), Adama Bamba (Cote d’Ivoire), Ulrich Jacques Diasso (Burkina Faso), Ayoola Oluwatomi Oluwadare (Nigeria), Moussa Mounkaila Saley (Niger), Coumba Niang (Senegal), Souleymane Sanogo (Mali), Toure Evelyne Ndatchor (Cote d’Ivoire) and Emmanuel Quansah (Ghana).
The graduating students at the event
Minister of Environment, Laurentia Laraba Mallam, congratulated the students for their achievement and commended the organisers for the timely completion of the first circle of the programme. “This must have been possible partly through the dedication and commitment to duty by the WASCAL Centre and also through the cooperation and encouragement from the university authority and community,” she stated.
Mallam, who was represented by Peter Tarfa, a deputy director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the Environment Ministry, disclosed that the WASCAL initiative started in 2009 when the German government notified the ministry. According to her, the centre’s aim is to engage in research with Africa that will help develop excellence as well as build institutions and capacities.
She added that government vigorously pursued the opportunity due to the fact that lack of adequate, reliable and verifiable scientific research findings, data and information on climate change in Africa and in Nigeria had continued to be a major challenge against effective policies and actions to combat climate change.
While FUTA operates the Ph.D. programme, the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna in Niger State was offered a status to run the Master of Science (MSc) degree programme under the WASCAL initiative.
The minister listed the benefits of hosting the centres to include “socio-economic implications for Nigeria; added benefit to the nation’s research potential; proximal benefit to our research institutions and the opportunity for Nigeria to drive the process.”
She recalled that, while building on the initiative, government last year installed a state-of-the-art High Performance Computing (HPC) system in the FUTA WASCAL Centre to further enhance the centre’s data management.
“The ministry also collaborated and undertook a training aimed to enhance capacity of the Climate Change Designated Government National Focal Point as well as other climate change experts in climate change information management for decision-making process towards policy formulation and implementation,” she added, even as she urged the university and centre’s management to explore options of availing wider spectrum of stakeholders the services of the centre and the climate information for use in research and in many socio-economic sectors of the nation.
She restated government’s determination to sustain “the beneficial initiative” and promised that it would continue to fulfill its obligations under the WASCAL Cooperative agreement and also support and partner the centre to initiate, plan and finance training activities that would showcase the importance and practical use of climate information.
She expressed government’s appreciation to the Government of Germany, the German Ministry for Education for “the laudable initiative.” Mallam likewise thanked the management of the WASCAL administrative headquarters in Accra, Ghana for effectively steering the regional initiative.
Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Prof Adebiyi Durodola, described the programme as “a worthwhile experience because they (students) brought the international flavor here”.
He added: “We are as excited as you are that our first set of WASCAL products are being released into the market. The programme has been beneficial as we were able to get some experience from the United Nations Development Pogramme (UNDP), and we have been able to domesticate the agreement. We look forward to a more robust collaboration.
“We call on the German Government to continue to fund the programme as it has been highly beneficial to the continent. Indeed, no amount spent on human development goes to waste.”
Professor Jerome Omotosho, director of the WASCAL-GRP, who described the initiative as “this very unique manpower development programme for West Africa,” disclosed that FUTA on August 2010 beat nine other universities to be selected as lead university to host the doctorate programme.
Omotosho, a professor of Meteorology, declared that students have worked very hard to meet set target “as the WASCAL approved period for the Ph.D. programme is normally three years and this formally ended on 31st January, 2015.”
Speaking on behalf of the students, Annor expressed their delight and gratitude to the German Government and WASCAL for sponsoring the programme. They also thanked the academic and administrative team at FUTA.
He said: “It was really a wonderful experience during the field work and the entire period of our studies. Having the opportunity to visit many countries, we’ve been acquainted with diverse cultures which have prepared us to a versatile world.
“On the side of academics, though challenging, we were able to sail through with the help of WASCAL, our supervisors, institutions visited, FUTA and other institutions and individuals. Our humble plea to the sponsors is that the period for the programme is short and for that matter making room for extension will be helpful. We pledge to impart Africa and the world at large with all that we’ve learnt during this special Ph.D. programme.”
A rights advocacy group, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FOEN), in collaboration with the Corporate Accountability International (CAI), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services (AUPCTRE) and Public Service International (PSI), recently took to the streets of Lagos to condemn plans by the Lagos State Government and the World Bank to privatise water resources in the state. They demanded a halt to the scheme, arguing that water is a right and not a commodity to be sold.
However, Shayo Holloway, managing director of the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), reacts, describing the allegations as misconceptions and rumours of secret plans to privatise the LWC. He argues in this treatise that partnering with the private sector is not privatisation
The Lagos State Government has never at any time considered the sale or divestment of any LWC water assets. On the contrary, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) law of 2004 only seeks to “partner” with the private sector for accelerated development of water infrastructure to meet the current water demand in Lagos State, which presently stands at 540 million gallons per day (MGD) for a population of 20 million. That is not “privatisation” where assets are sold off to the private sector. The PPP is indeed a veritable strategy for accelerated infrastructure development, using private capital.
Our total available water assets, even if run at 100% efficiency, stands at 210 MGD, leaving a shortfall or deficit of 330 million gallons per day. Hence, only nine million of the 20 million will get water, while 11 million will still be without. The current shortfall is characterised by proliferation of boreholes all over the state, with its attendant environmental and health hazards.
It is projected that, by the year 2020, the population of Lagos State will be about 29 million, with a water demand of 733 million gallons per day. This will make Lagos the third largest megacity after Beijing (China) and Mumbai (India).
Studies have indicated that if the proliferation of boreholes is not promptly addressed, in about 10 years, Lagos runs the risk of saline water (salt water) from the Atlantic Ocean massively migrating inwards to pollute ground water. This will make all boreholes draw salt water. This phenomenon is already happening to boreholes along the coastal region of Lagos.
Furthermore, it is noteworthy to mention that majority of domestic boreholes draw water from shallow unconfined aquifers which are prone to pollution wit attendant health hazards. Confined aquifers which are protected from pollution run as deep as 200 metres and more.
According to the WHO/UNESCO, 66 million Nigerians do not have access to potable water; premature death from water related diseases cost the country $2.5 billion, while $191 million was spent on healthcare for diarrhoea alone in 2012.
In order to address the current water demand and meet the projection of the near future, LWC developed a Water Master Plan to take the state from its current 210MGD to 745MGD by year 2020, through the development of additional large water schemes taking raw water from rivers and the lagoons for treatment into potable water. The estimated cost of this is projected at $3.5 billion.
This is an investment which the state government cannot solely undertake as this will take the state government two and half years to fund with every naira inflow going into the water sector only. As there are other equally demanding sectors (health, education, security, social services, etc), no state government can fund this size of investment. However, we have commenced the implementation of the Master Plan with the ongoing construction of Adiyan phase 2 being funded by the state. This will give us additional 70 million gallons per day; and will be completed in 2016.
It is pertinent to state that this coming 23 years after Adiyan phase I due to the huge investment required. In addition to this, the state government completed the Otta-Ikosi water works this year to serve 11 towns between Ikorodu and Epe.
Consequently, in view of the growing population, the state thus seeks to partner with the private sector, to accelerate the development of water infrastructure with private capital to make water available to all before boreholes start going saline.
Such investments are typically covered over a negotiated concession period of several years in order to make water tariff affordable to the public. Concessions usually range from about 20 to 30 years depending on size of investment and financial model.
To address concerns of affordability by the vulnerable segment of the society, are the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (to ensure transaction transparency); Office of PPP (to ensure value for money); Lagos State Water Regulatory Agency (to ensure protection of investors and the public) and Lagos State Ministry of Justice (to ensure equity and fairplay).
Furthermore, a commercial mechanism to safeguard the vulnerable segment of the society is “cross-subsidisation” whereby the more affluent segment of the society who will consume more water, and pay the full commercial rate; indirectly subsidising the vulnerable segment. A win-win situation whereby water of good quality and regularity is made available to all.
The declaration, written by 1993 Right Livelihoood Award recipient Vandana Shiva and a coalition of women’s groups in India, comes as controversy escalates over the development of GM crops in Africa. According to a February 2015 report by Friends of the Earth International only four African countries, South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Sudan, have released GM crops commercially, while others are involved in testing or have placed bans and restrictions on GM crops and commodities. A GM banana project in Uganda under the National Agricultural Research Institute and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently provoked fierce resistance from local civil society organizations who claim that there are better alternatives to GM.
